Halle Berry recently expressed her disappointment at the fact that, till date, she remains the only black performer to ever bag an Academy Award for the best actress. The 58-year-old actress herself got the prestigious award for her work in the movie “Monster Ball” in 2002. It took a little too long for the next entry in the “women of color” category, with Michelle Yeoh winning the award last year.
To say that the lack of diversity is not concerning would be incorrect. The academy is often accused of being racist, and the facts really don’t do much to disprove the prejudice. Black women really are missing from the nominations. The last nominations being in 2020 of Viola Davis and Andra Day. Which again didn’t amount to any awards in the category.
One has to understand that the awards propagate a message. Just because every now and then a person wins doesn’t disprove the claims of racism. Halle Berry is an iconic star, and it’s always the complain of people of color that they face racism.
What makes it weirder is that the Hollywood productions are going inane after the DEI score and inclusivity Indices. It indeed raises suspicion that even after opportunities are practically served to the people, they never get their fair share of recognition. It is to be hoped that Halle Berry’s wish to see a companion Oscar-winning black woman gets fulfilled sooner.